You can't seriously look me in the eye and tell me we lost because the Dolphins are a better football team. Nobody here buys that for a second.

Yes, this loss stings like a son of a bitch but that's because we have such potential and talent for such a young team.

Leon Washington, in the post game show was hinting to the fact that the team took the Dolphins lightly. They didn't expect much of a fight. They figured they could waltz on in to Miami and check off a "W" without too much pain and effort. I mean, it's the Dolphins, right??

Pete Carroll is right to question his preparations leading up to the game. He thought out loud that perhaps he underestimated how young his team really is to give them that amount of time off.

These players don't suddenly suck. No matter what it looks like on TV. No, these players (I am speaking generally here of course, yes I get that there were a few players that can be safely removed from this conversation) simply played down to their opponent and didn't expect the Dolphins to give them much trouble. Factor in a crowd with the enthusiasm of a High School chess match and it's not entirely unbelievable that this young team could be lulled to sleep without even realizing they were doing it.

TRUST ME. I'm NOT making excuses for that abomination. Bottom line is, we should have won that game and every human being on that plane flying back to Seattle knew it with every ounce of their Being.

No, this loss smacks to me of youth. These players didn't suddenly lose their talent. As much as we love to want to fire half the team and coaches after an upsetting loss, it's simply not the reality of the situation. If the Seahawks beat the Bears next Sunday (and if you've been a fan of this team longer than 10 minutes you know that is entirely probable) the vast majority of us will be back to our regularly scheduled programming of "Why We Love PC and JS and our talented young team!"

There's still SO much for us to be excited about, even though I concede the wound is too raw right now for me to get a collective "Amen Brother!" I get that.

I'm not trying to change anyone's minds about the loss on Sunday. Hell no. You have every stinkin' right to feel and post what you want (within the rules, smirk).

What I am trying to accomplish with this post is to consider what I personally believe is the most obvious factor in the loss.

This team -- as hauntingly good as they are at home -- are still just pups trying to find their way in this league.

As long as they use this loss as a learning lesson? I can accept it.

A victory next Sunday in Chicago would go a very long way in helping us all heal our wounds.

"Shaquem Griffin tells ESPN after he got drafted by Seattle; 'I can't breathe.' That's the only time you'll hear him say he can't do something." - Dan Wetzel via Twitter.

True, he does covet thy rooks. However, I saw something in his eyes in that post game presser...When he admitted he underestimated the team's youth (in preparing properly for the Dolphins coming off the bye), that gives me hope that he won't ever make that same mistake again. Now how that translates in wins and losses the rest of his tenure here in Seattle is a book that has yet to be written, but I have got to believe he's going to start understanding the importance of a good mix of veteran leadership with the young talent even more than he ever has before.

I don't fault what he's built so far in three years. We all can agree there's been incredible progress, if not in the "W" then at least in the collective progress of the team as a whole.

If we end up 7-9 again this year, I will seriously be pissed off. In year three I expect nothing less than 9-7.

Let's see how this all pans out at the end of December. At some point, the "rooks" need to grow up and play big boy ball to match those big boy paychecks.

"Shaquem Griffin tells ESPN after he got drafted by Seattle; 'I can't breathe.' That's the only time you'll hear him say he can't do something." - Dan Wetzel via Twitter.

If we end up 7-9 again this year, I will seriously be pissed off. In year three I expect nothing less than 9-7.

Let's see how this all pans out at the end of December. At some point, the "rooks" need to grow up and play big boy ball to match those big boy paychecks.

I agree 100% At some point we have to understand that our team is what are record is nothing more nothing less. We will see how we end up. We got to bring it each and every game like are season is on the line.

The positive I take away is that our young leader obviously prepared, wanted it and showed up - time to follow RWs lead fellas.

The talent level of this team allows them to sleepwalk to one score road losses. Almost feel like if one of the early road losses was an absolute pummeling it may have proven advantagous long-term.

To be fair, I'm thinking every teams fan base but Atlanta has gone into "everything sucks" panic mode at some point this season (Pitt,GB tonight), (SF after NYG), (NE after us) (houston after GB) etc. This is a very reactionary week by week league.

young? When will they be mature and try harder? They should be improving as the year goes on, gaining experience. Losing to the Lions and the Dolphins, in the fashion they did, does not indicate that they are learning and growing.

Tech Worlds wrote:young? When will they be mature and try harder? They should be improving as the year goes on, gaining experience. Losing to the Lions and the Dolphins, in the fashion they did, does not indicate that they are learning and growing.

When does youth no longer suffice as an excuse?

Agree.

I'd be a little more willing to use youth as an excuse if we had lost in this fashion in a pressure filled game against a great offense. We just lost to a team with an abysmal offense in a dead quiet stadium in a low pressure environment. That's not youth...that's poor coaching.

Aros wrote:True, he does covet thy rooks. However, I saw something in his eyes in that post game presser...When he admitted he underestimated the team's youth (in preparing properly for the Dolphins coming off the bye), that gives me hope that he won't ever make that same mistake again. Now how that translates in wins and losses the rest of his tenure here in Seattle is a book that has yet to be written, but I have got to believe he's going to start understanding the importance of a good mix of veteran leadership with the young talent even more than he ever has before.

I don't fault what he's built so far in three years. We all can agree there's been incredible progress, if not in the "W" then at least in the collective progress of the team as a whole.

If we end up 7-9 again this year, I will seriously be pissed off. In year three I expect nothing less than 9-7.

Let's see how this all pans out at the end of December. At some point, the "rooks" need to grow up and play big boy ball to match those big boy paychecks.

To end up 7-9 after being 6-4 would be a HUGE collapse. There would definitely be some major changes coming if that happens. I also think we end up at least 9-7.

endzorn wrote:I'd be a little more willing to use youth as an excuse if we had lost in this fashion in a pressure filled game against a great offense. We just lost to a team with an abysmal offense in a dead quiet stadium in a low pressure environment. That's not youth...that's poor coaching.

Actually, I think it's both in this case.

"Shaquem Griffin tells ESPN after he got drafted by Seattle; 'I can't breathe.' That's the only time you'll hear him say he can't do something." - Dan Wetzel via Twitter.

Youth's a part of it, especially on defense. When the stress level get's raised in the 4th quarter, our defense devolves into mental lapse after mental lapse with getting out of position and dumb penalties.

But IMO the biggest reason we lost yesterday is scheme and in-game management. Wilson could have thrown for 350 yards yesterday. But no, Carroll and Bevell wanted to puff their chests out and continue to try and run the ball and trust their defense. Neither worked.

Sgt. Largent wrote:Youth's a part of it, especially on defense. When the stress level get's raised in the 4th quarter, our defense devolves into mental lapse after mental lapse with getting out of position and dumb penalties.

But IMO the biggest reason we lost yesterday is scheme and in-game management. Wilson could have thrown for 350 yards yesterday. But no, Carroll and Bevell wanted to puff their chests out and continue to try and run the ball and trust their defense. Neither worked.

I agree with the OP and this.

All year, it has seemed as though the coaches don't like to stick with what's working.

Tru2RedNGold25 wrote:Us as Niners fan have every right to rep Niners all day everyday when we have the hardware to back it up do can u guys say that???